If you’ve ever pulled into your driveway after a long day only to suddenly realize you’re

there but you don’t recall the drive home, then you know the power of our brains to dip into

autopilot mode.

The exact name is highway hypnosis. It’s when our brains carry out tasks automatically

without fully engaging the whole brain. Meaning we’re still driving, but our minds, are

thinking about the recipe we’re about to cook for dinner or the crush of to-dos we need to

get through before bedtime.

So what’s a surefire way to connect our brains back to our bodies? For me, it’s identifying an  intention. Intention requires that we be in our bodies and focus our minds in order for it to work.

For example, I tend to over-think or worry a lot. The practice of intention stills both of those. It shifts my focus away from my anxiety and toward creating a feeling and calm and confidence, instead.

To make sure I don’t hit a home hypnosis, I’ve created intention trays in several areas of my home to help me stay calm and decrease recurring bothersome anxious thoughts.

As I wrote in my book, HOME THERAPY, humans are visual. Something physical in our environment reminds us to honor our practice. Something beautiful in the ceremony of that practice invites us to honor ourselves within the ritual. The best part? It really works because science and psychological research shows that visual cues help us develop positive loops or habits.

The Tray

Each month, I assess and reimagine my tray and the intentions I capture there right along with it. Know that there are no wrong or right ways. Some months the tray is even a beautiful pottery bowl. The most important part is that it’s placed in a spot where it will catch your eye each day and remind you of your hopes, dreams, and desires.

The Scent: A Diffuser or Candle

There is a certain amount of ritual to your intention tray.  For me, I keep mine in the bedroom or primary bathroom so that each day as I’m doing my hair or getting ready, I can take a beat and spend some time with my own heart. A candle or diffuser calls my brain to attention. Scent memory is very powerful.

Writing Power: Pen and Journal

Because I’m visual, I tend to remember what I see. So, writing is an important part of my intention this month. This journal and pen are so pretty it just invites me to make sure I get some of what is on my mind onto the paper. Some people have a certain pattern to their journaling. For me, it’s all about wherever my heart leads. Some days I share what I hope for and others I scribble down what I want to let go of.

Your Mind

Lastly, an open mind is essential to the success of creating a positive loop. There is no judgment around your intention tray, from yourself or from others. Let it be deeply personal and wildly demonstrative of what you want. If that’s a singing career or a studio for ceramics, place that intention here and then find ways to invite that very thing into your life.

Here’s what’s on my current intention tray to inspire yours!